Negative Thoughts, Fears Linked to Risk of Suicide in Patients With Psychosis

Negative thoughts about psychotic experiences and fears of losing mental control may heighten the risk of suicide in patients with psychosis who were not taking antipsychotics, suggests areport inSchizophrenia Bulletin.“Overall, our findings emphasize the importance of clinicians promoting a recovery-focused and appropriately optimistic outlook when working with people with psychosis, taking care to avoid providing information that might heighten negative illness appraisals and/or fears of losing mental control, ” wrote Paul Hutton, Ph.D., of the Edinburgh Napier University in the United Kingdom and colleagues.Hutton and colleagues analyzed data on 68 patients in a pilot trial designed to assess the effects of cognitive therapy on individuals with schizophrenia who had not taken antipsychotics for at least six months. At the start of the study and follow-ups at nine and 18 months, the researchers measured the patients ’ psychotic symptoms using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale; they also measured negative beliefs and attitudes using the Personal Beliefs About Experiences Questionnaire and the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30.The researchers found that symptoms of psychosis were more likely to be linked to suicidal thinking at nine to 18 months when the patients held negative thoughts and fears. Negative thoughts and fears about consequences of symptoms leading to loss of mental control accounted for 37 percent of the association between those symptoms and suicidal...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: metacognition negative thoughts and beliefs Paul Hutton psychosis schizophrenia Schizophrenia Bulletin suicidal thinking suicidality suicide Source Type: research